Residents living beneath the elevated M4 in Port Talbot have described the motorway above their gardens as both a striking feature of daily life and an unexpected source of shelter.
According to BBC News, about 75,000 vehicles use the raised section each day on the route between London and south Wales. The road runs around 45ft above some homes in the town, with pillars and concrete structures standing close to back gardens and nearby streets.
Narelle Cowan, who has three M4 pillars in her garden, told the BBC that the road covers part of her outdoor space, keeping an area dry and shaded. She said she had become used to the sound of traffic, describing it as background noise.
Aimee Lipley, who has lived near the M4 in Port Talbot for eight years and grew up around it, said the covered space below the road can be useful in wet weather and has served as a place for children to play. She also said rubbish is sometimes thrown from vehicles passing above.
The Port Talbot section opened on 22 July 1966 and was one of the early parts of the M4. It was originally built as the Port Talbot bypass before being connected to the motorway at either end. The 4.25-mile stretch was designed to ease severe congestion on the old A48 through the town.
Swansea University historian Professor Martin Johnes told the BBC that Port Talbot had been a logical place for Wales’ first motorway because the old road layout caused long delays. The bypass took 13 years from commissioning in 1953 to opening in 1966, cutting journey times between Bridgend and Swansea by about 20 minutes.
The project also brought major disruption. Homes were demolished, chapels were flattened and communities were displaced, including on Llewellyn Street, where one side of a terrace was removed for the road. The scheme cost more than £5m and was widely seen by some at the time as a symbol of progress, though others felt it damaged the town.
A 50mph speed limit is now in place on the M4 at Port Talbot. The BBC reported that the measure was introduced after legal action over nitrogen dioxide levels on several road sections, including Port Talbot. Since the limit was imposed, NO2 levels have fallen below the legal threshold, with analysis indicating the speed restriction had the largest immediate effect, alongside other factors such as more efficient vehicles and increased home working.
